Have you had COVID-19? I think I have!!!

I have long said the numbers are crap because we simply don't have enough test kits.

I went on a cruise in late Jan and one of the young guys we knew on board (and spent time at the casino and bars with) got sick with what he thought was Gastro, the ship said they had a small outbreak of Gastro on board intesrestingly it only seemed to affect about 8 people, two of which we knew and they were younger adults.

So Covid in younger adults can present as gastro type symptoms.

A week or so later on the plane home I suddenly started feeling really quite unwell with a really sore throat. I went to work the next day but stayed home after that as I worsened overnight moving into fever, aches and major lethargy. My cough was dry and there wasn't too much of a runny nose.

I went to the Dr and the test to see if it was Covid was:

"Do you have a chinese girlfriend"

"No"

"Then it's just a flu"

2 days later my wife went down with it too, same symptoms in the same order. Now everything I read about the onset of symptoms is exactly what we went through.

I firmly believe we had it early and I believe there are many Australians in the same catagory which means the numbers are completely incalculable.

We are keen for the blood test that will be coming in the next few months to detect if you have had the virus or not.

 

Best medical advice at the moment is that if you have not had direct contact with someone actually diagnosed with covid, you are very unlikely to have had it. Gastro upsets are a common scourge on cruise ships.

Chart compares symptoms of covid, colds and flu.

 

You are right in that lots of people will have had it that haven’t been screened.
With the screening tools we are already only getting positive rate of 1-2%, so we can’t swab everyone, it doesn’t help a lot.
With the panic we are getting large numbers wanting testing, that have low risk.
You did the right thing if you think you have it and don’t qualify for testing the advice is to self isolate for 14 days yourself.
Also a lot of people will have the regular flu cough cold ect.
I think the blood test is a while away but will be a good tool when it arrives.

Stay safe because you may not have had it

 

Gastro spreads like wildfire on ships and it's interesting that it didn't in this case. The problem is we could have been in direct contact with someone who had it on the ship (we spent a lot of time in the Casino and Bars on board) and we will never really know.

Our symptoms were enough to make me think we possibly did have it.

 

Thanks, yes we are pretty much just at home now other than a bit of shopping here and there. We have plenty of TV Shows and movies to catch up on .

My work is very flexible with hours and the like so I tend to take a late lunch at 2pm and go shopping then, it's after the lunch rush and before the end of day rush.

 

A few simple google searches with the name of the ship should discover if there have been any diagnosed cases from your cruise.

 

Yeah that's a good idea, might try that but would it have even been recorded back in Jan?

 

Most people I know seem to think that they've either had it or have it currently (even I'm considering it). Most of them are definitely wrong though.
Have you had it? Given the timing, it's extremely unlikely but not impossible.

 

January very unlikely unless you were in China.

 

Okay there seems to only be one Carnival cruise that has had passengers test positive (Carnival Brand, not company as they also own P&O and Princess which has had loads more) and it wasn't the ship I was on so it's unlikely.

There are of course plenty of other opportune times for someone to get it but for us we felt crook right after the cruise so it could have only been a few days before or during the cruise where we could have picked anything up so the chances are extremely slim.

Nice suggestion on the googling Marg .

 

But - there was/is a wonderful bug going around that describes the same symptoms....
I had similar in early/mid February after a trip to Sydney.
Sore throat, deep dry persistent cough, sinus pain, no real body aches, just feeling blahhh....lasted for about 2 weeks.

It's a numbers game...self isolate and protect others.

 

The problem is that random contact, not necessarily close contact with someone from overseas in early January would have gone relatively unnoticed. It’s still hard to get tested unless you meet the set criteria or are very ill.
I personally travel all over the country and mix with a large number of people directly and indirectly including staying at hotels usually frequented by international travellers..

 

We're a bit like you - early February hubby had "man flu" - teen has flu-like symptoms (fever etc) - and I got, what I would call, a moderate cold. Hubby has contact with a lot of people who have contact with a lot of people from China.

Would be nice to have the "have you had it" antibody test. And if they make this readily available then people who have had a mild form can restart their lives and restart the economy

 

I arrived back from a cruise throughout Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore ect in late Jan.

Came down with flu symptoms on arrival in Australia. Went to Dr...dismissed pretty quickly as the main criteria back then was travel to mainland China and a temperature. As neither were applicable, I was dismissed. Symptoms lasted a week or so. I assumed normal colds and flu circulating as normal, plus a bit of jet lag maybe. It's easy to jump to worst case scenario, so decided to relax and monitor incase it worsened.

 

Testing centres are busy, and are not going to test just anyone who “thinks they have had it but aren’t sure” (unless they have active symptoms and direct contact with an identified covid case).

Why? Bragging rights? The social distance restrictions apply to everyone, including those who have recovered from the virus here. Just because someone can prove they have recovered doesn’t mean they can go out and party.

Most tests being fast-tracked are to detect who actually has the virus to prevent further infection. And anyone sick enough to be hospitalised who has recovered (several consecutive negative tests required) and can be released.

When numbers of tests and testing staff allow, maybe everyone can be tested. You will need more than one test in case of a false result.

 

For now.
And the benefit would be that they can work in the community without having to worry about getting infected*.
I'm actually currently on a reserve list for a high risk job. If people get sick and they need someone else, I'll be called upon. So it would be good to know how careful I'd have to be. Would it be prudent not coming home to my family and staying away for the period that I'm working there? If I've had the virus and so has my family, I'd have a lot less to worry about.

*I believe that's yet to be confirmed but seems to be the working theory.

 

If the virus can mutate (and there is some people who believe it has), the antibodies you have may not protect you against a different version of the virus.

Good thinking otherwise though.

 

Not necessarily...the virus has been spreading since the start of January (at least) and we weren't banning flights into Oz until just a few weeks ago.

 

I really don't think there is a single human in the world who would "Brag" about having this.